Britain hit a boiling point on Friday night as large crowds of rival demonstrators were kept apart by police outside hotels thought to be housing asylum seekers. Scores of officers were on alert in London and across the country as clashes threatened to break out between anti-migrant hotel protesters and counter-demonstrators.
Outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, London, a large anti-migrant group was engaged in a chanting war with pro-refugee activists as the two groups shouted at one another across the road. And in Altrincham, Cheshire, similar scenes unfolded as officers kept two rival sets of demonstrators apart near the Cresta Hotel. Disturbances near hotels have also broken out in Norfolk, Leeds, Epping, Aldershot, and Portsmouth.
In Nuneaton in Warwickshire, County Council leader George Finch said he was concerned protests would be “hijacked by agitators” in Nuneaton amid allegations of a “cover-up” about suspects charged over an alleged rape. One anti-asylum hotel protester in London told the Daily Express Sir Keir Starmer was “an idiot” and that the country needed to “stop the boats”. Meanwhile, pro-immigration supporters chanted “no fear, refugees welcome here”.
THIS LIVE BLOG HAS NOW CLOSED…
KEY EVENTS
- Two people arrested at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf 19:33
- Protests explode across the country in these locations 19:12
Thank you for following our LIVE blog tonight
Thank you for following our LIVE tonight, and have a good weekend from the Express Team.
Protesters stand off against one another in Altrincham
Protesters have had to be kept apart by police outside the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham, Cheshire, as rival groups opposing asylum seeker hotels and supporting them have clashed across the country.
Protesters in Cheshire (Image: Getty )
Protesters in Cheshire (Image: PA )
GB News reporter swarmed by pro-migrant protesters outside asylum hotel
A GB News reporter was swarmed by pro-migration Stand Up to Racism protesters at a demonstration in Altrincham. North West Reporter Sophie Reaper was at one of the many protests around the country that have erupted over hotels being used to house asylum seekers. At one point, she appears to be hit in the hit with a placard.
“I’ve just been hit by a placard on the head by one of these counter protesters”, she said. “We are just trying to give them the opportunity to have their side. Police are now having to jump in. We have just been assaulted by one of these counter-protesters. We’re just going to step out because things have got rather dicey.”
GB News reporter swarmed by Stand Up to Racism protesters
Jeremy Corbyn’s brother supports protest to close asylum hotel in Epping
The brother of former Labour leader and MP Jeremy Crobyn has appeared at a protest outside a migrant hotel in Epping, Essex, this evening.
Piers Corbyn, who was known for his anti-vaccine stance during the Covid pandemic, was filmed by X site VoxPopuli giving his reasons for attending the anti-asylum seeker hotel gathering.
He said “I’m here to support the campaign to close this hotel. The boats should be stopped.
“The government is using this crisis to bring in digital ID. We don’t need Digital ID to stop the boats.”
Piers Corbyn (Image: @vpopulimedia)
Reporter Lotti O’Brien live from the scene of the protests in London
Daily Express reporter Lotti O’Brien shared the moment a column of far-left supporters arrived in Canary Wharf tonight as dozens of police struggled to keep rival groups apart outside the Britannia Hotel, which is being used to house asylum seekers in London’s Docklands.
Watch Lotti’s exclusive report here.
Britannia Hotel: Lotti O’Brien reports from scene as UK protests emerge
Moment large gathering of far-left protesters arrive
Far-left protesters, many of them wearing masks, were escorted by dozens of police officers supported by riot vans as they arrived to join the demonstration in Canary Wharf tonight outside the Britannia Hotel.
Moment huge column of protesters arrive (Image: PA )
Moment huge column of protesters arrive (Image: PA )
Two people arrested at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf
Two people have been arrested at a protest at the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf, the Metropolitan Police said.
Officers have also imposed conditions on the group protesting against the use of the hotel to house asylum seekers.
The force posted on X: “Officers have made two arrests in Canary Wharf.
“One person protesting against the use of the hotel by asylum seekers has been arrested after a bottle was thrown at officers.
“A member of the counter-protest group has been arrested for failing to remove a face covering.
“We have imposed conditions using the Public Order Act to prevent serious disorder at the protests in Canary Wharf. The group protesting against the use of the hotel by asylum seekers have been instructed to remain in front of the blue hoarding on the pavement opposite the Britannia Hotel.”
Chaotic scenes in Canary Wharf as large group of Antifa protesters turn up
More than 1,000 demonstrators and police have now converged on Canary Wharf as a large ‘antifa’ protest group arrived in the last few minutes escorted by dozens of Met Police officers.
In chaotic scenes the new column of marchers moved just inches from rival groups as they took over the road which had been dividing different sets of protesters.
Chaotic scenes in Canary Wharf (Image: Phil Harris )
Protests explode across the country in these locations
Demonstrations are reportedly breaking out across the nation tonight outside hotels and venues suspected of housing asylum seekers.
Both anti-migrant hotel and pro-migrant hotel groups are so far being kept apart by police forces in each area.
Areas where protests are known to be happening, include:
Leeds.
Bowthorpe, Norfolk.
Altrincham, Cheshire.
Canary Wharf, London.
Portsmouth.
Epping, Essex.
Aldershot, Hampshire.
Anti-asylum hotel protesters in Portsmouth (Image: X/ @TPointUK)
Police intervene with several protesters as some have face coverings
Met Police officers have detained but not arrested a number of protesters so far tonight as they attempt to calm rising tensions between rival groups outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf.
A man is spoken to by police (Image: Phil Harris )
A woman engages with police at the protest (Image: PA )
Tactical vans arrive in Canary Wharf
Riot tactical-style vans, known as Territorial Support Group (TSG), have arrived and protesters are being told they cannot cross the road outside the hotel to engage with one another.
TSG vans on the scene (Image: PA )
Protesters stand off in Cheshire as tensions mount across the country
Rival groups of protesters have gathered outside the Cresta Court Hotel in Altincham, Cheshire, as tensions simmer across the nation over the asylum seeker hotel crisis.
Anti-asylum hotel protesters (Image: PA )
Pro-asylum hotel protesters (Image: PA)
Tensions mount as police keep protesters apart
More protesters are understood to be arriving in the area as many finish work for the day or make their way around the evening rush hour.
Some demonstrators appeared to be in deep discussion with the police who are out in force tonight outside the hotel.
Protester and police (Image: PA )
Protester and police (Image: PA )
Anti-asylum hotel group bang on boarding and chant towards rivals
The anti-asylum hotel protesters began banging on construction boarding as they continued to chant in the direction of the Stand Up to Racism group.
Protesters in Canary Wharf (Image: Phil Harris )
‘I am protecting my children’ says anti-migrant hotel protester
A lady told Express reporter Lotti O’Brien that she had attended the protest against asylum seekers being housed at the hotel because she was protecting her “children’s birth rite” and because she said the establishment was not looking after “domestic homelessness”.
The woman, who was dressed in red, said she was “all for” legal immigration, but that with “illegal” migrants people did not know “who they are”.
She added: “With the migrant hotels if you’re legal, all for it, if you’re not, then they need to be sent back.”
A protester said she was protecting her children (Image: Phil Harris )
Hundreds arrested in ‘crackdown’ on asylum seekers working for delivery firms
Hundreds of arrests have been made as part of what the Government called a “week-long crackdown” on asylum seekers taking jobs for delivery firms.
A total of 1,780 people were stopped and spoken to at locations across the UK over suspected illegal working activity between July 20 and 27.
Some 280 were arrested as a result, in areas including Hillingdon in north-west London, Dumfries in Scotland, and Birmingham, the Home Office said.
Some 89 of those have been detained pending removal from the country and 53 are now having their asylum support reviewed, which the Government said could result in their support being suspended or withdrawn.
The Home Office described the operation as a “nationwide intensification week” targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and people working as delivery riders.
Immigration enforcement teams will receive £5 million from the £100 million in funding already announced for border security, aimed at increasing visits by officers in these areas over the coming months, it said.
Anti-migrant protester says ‘I’m not a fascist’ and brands Starmer an ‘idiot’
A resident from the Isle of Dogs spoke to the Express detailing why he is concerned about the Britannia housing asylum seekers. Watch the exclusive video below.
Britannia Hotel: Isle of Dogs resident expresses concerns
Anti-migrant hotel protester says it’s unsafe having ‘unchecked men’ in accommodation
Speaking to Express reporter Lotti O’Brien, a demonstrator from the anti-migrant hotel side said it was unsafe to have “loads of unchecked men, grown men, come into the country and stay in a hotel, across the road from where we live, our families live, our mums, our sisters, our daughters… it’s not safe.”
He added: “We’re not here because we don’t like them because they are from another country, we are here because they are unchecked, we don’t know who they are, we don’t know why they want to flee their country, we don’t know what they’ve done and what they are going to do.”
Some protesters seen with face coverings
Pictures from the scene show some protesters, seemingly on the anti-migrant side, wearing face coverings in a bid to obscure their identity.
Protester covers their face (Image: PA )
Protests have begun swapping chants and insults
Several people began using swearing hand signals towards one another as both sets of protests began to chant slogans across the road as they were kept apart by the Met Police.
‘I think Keir Starmer is an idiot’ anti-migrant protester speaks out
Speaking to Daily Express reporter Lotti O’Brien, one anti-migrant hotel protester in Canary Wharf tonight said he thought Sir Keir Starmer was an ‘idiot’ and he didn’t care if he was called a ‘fascist’ for protesting about hotels housing asylum seekers.
Wearing a gold chain, sunglasses and an England flag top, local Mitchell told Express.co.uk the migrant hotel “shouldn’t be happening, full stop”.
He added: “Stop the boats and send back anyone who’s come here illegally, simple as that.”
Asked what he thought about Stand Up to Racism calling him a ‘fascist’, he replied: “Does not bother me in the slightest, I already know what I am, I am not a fascist.”
Replying to a question about his thoughts on Sir Keir Starmer’s handling of the migrant crisis, he said: “He’s just an idiot. I don’t think anyone wants him in power anymore. Even the left.”
Put on the spot about his own views about how the crisis could be solved, Mitchell said: “Personally, I think we should use our navy to patrol the waters, to stop the boats.”
An anti-migrant hotel protester (Image: Phil Harris )
Anti-asylum hotel protesters chant ‘Terrorist supporters off our streets’
Anti-asylum hotel protesters carrying Israel and England flags have chanted ‘terrorist supporters off our streets’ directed at the the Stand Up to Racism group outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf this evening.
Protesters begin chanting (Image: Lotti O’Brien )
More images from the scene
Photographs from outside the Britannia Hotel show anti-migrant and anti-far right protesters arriving with police so far keeping calm between the two groups.
Amongst a group of anti-asylum seeker protesters, one man wearing a ‘Sir Keir Stalin’ T-shirt gesticulating towards rival demonstrators.
Elsewhere a woman with the Stand Up to Racism group made a peace sign to photographers.
Protesters at Canary Wharf (Image: Phil Harris )
Protesters in Canary Wharf (Image: Phil Harris )
Met Police says it will be a ‘busy weekend’ of protests in London
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation, said: “This is going to be a particularly busy few days in London with many simultaneous protests and events that will require a significant policing presence. I’m grateful not just to the Met officers who will be working incredibly hard over the coming days but to those colleagues from other forces who have been deployed to London to support us.”
Friday August 8
On Friday afternoon, officers will be deployed in the vicinity of hotels being used to accommodate asylum seekers in Islington and in Canary Wharf in anticipation of possible protest and counter protest.
Officers will also be policing a number of local protests in opposition to continued Israeli military action in Gaza. These are due to take place in Tower Hamlets, in Putney and in Westminster where, last week, a protest organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) saw 36 arrests after a breakaway group attempted to block the road at Oxford Circus.
Saturday August 9
On Saturday the latest national demonstration by the Palestine Coalition, made up of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and other groups, will take place with a march from Russell Square to Whitehall followed by an assembly with speeches. We are not aware of an organised counter protest at this event.
Also on Saturday we are anticipating another protest in Parliament Square organised by Defend Our Juries where participants are expected to intentionally break the law by holding up placards expressing support for the proscribed group Palestine Action. Previous such protests have seen more than 100 arrests made in total.
Sunday August 10
On Sunday, the FA Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace will take place at Wembley. We anticipate that a number of Crystal Palace fans will gather in central London ahead of the match and we will have officers deployed in the area to deal with any incidents.
On Sunday afternoon, from 3pm, there will be a ‘National March for the Hostages’ in central London organised by Stop the Hate and a number of Jewish organisations. There will be a policing and security operation in place to ensure the safety of participants.
Officers will again be deployed in Canary Wharf in anticipation of a planned protest and possible counter protest relating to the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.
Stand Up to Racism protesters arrive
The group carrying ‘Refugees Welcome. Stop the Far Right’ arrived near the hotel this evening.
Several police officers ringed the placard-carrying men and women as attempts were made to keep the demonstrators with different views apart.
Stand Up to Racism protesters (Image: Lotti O’Brien )
Several protesters unfurl Israeli and Englad flags
A gaggle of anti-asylum protesters appear to be waiting for the counter-protest to arrive.
One man unfurled an Israel flag, and several others could be seen holding St George’s flags.
Protesters outside the hotel (Image: Lotti O’Brien )
So-called ‘anti-racism’ protesters have called for demonstrators to gather from 5pm
Posting on X, the group ‘Stand Up To Racism’ said it wanted protesters to gather from 5pm outside the Britannia Hotel, in Canary Wharf. The group called those demonstrating against asylum seekers being housed at the hotel “fascists”.
A post on X read: “As fascists target refugees and politicians of different colours pander to anti-refugee hatred, good people must mobilise against racism & fascism. Join us!”.
Protesters arrive outside the hotel
A dozen or more demonstrators who appeared to be anti-asylum seekrs have arrived carrying Union flags, and also a bongo instrument.
Live pictures from the scene
Daily Express reporter Lotti O’Brien has sent these images from the scene showing a police build up including several officers and at least three vans.
The scene in Canary Wharf (Image: Lotti O’Brien )
The scene in Canary Wharf (Image: Lotti O’Brien )
Metropolitan Police deploy officers at two key locations tonight
The Met have deployed officers in the vicinity of hotels housing asylum seekers in Islington and in Canary Wharf.
Demonstrators let off flares and tried to “breach the fencing and access” the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf at a previous protest last weekend, while nine arrests were made outside the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in Islington two days earlier.
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Follow this LIVE blog for the latest updates surrounding protests expected to break out in London, and around the UK, over the ongoing asylum seeker hotel crisis.
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